Vengeance

Directed by B.J. Novak, Vengeance follows an ambitious journalist (Novak’s Ben Manalowitz) as he travels to Texas after learning of the death of a one-time girlfriend (Lio Tipton’s Abilene) – with the storyline detailing Ben’s ongoing encounters with quirky locals as he attempts to investigate said death. It’s clear, ultimately, that Vengeance grows more and more absorbing as it eventually progresses into an engaging and periodically gripping midsection, as the movie, which opens with a less-than-impressive first act (ie the manner by which Ben finds himself invited to Texas is far-fetched, to say the least), benefits from a fairly surprising plot that’s been augmented with stirring sequences and top-notch periphery performances – with the latter reflected most keenly in Ashton Kutcher’s unexpectedly spellbinding turn as an exceedingly eccentric record producer. And although the picture does contain a few palpable missteps (eg the wholly unsatisfying and anticlimactic closing stretch), Vengeance does, for the most part, come off as a solid debut from Novak that contains plenty of intriguing, interesting ideas sprinkled throughout its narrative. (If nothing else, Novak deserves credit for transforming his character into an often impressively unlikable figure.)

**1/2 out of ****